Electric guitar stand with knee action volume control



June 22, 1954 'w PRESSLER 2,681,586

ELECTRIC GUITAR STAND WITH KNEE ACTION VOLUME CONTROL Filed June 21, 1952 Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC GUITAR STAND WITH KNEE ACTION VOLUME CONTROL This invention relates to the volume control of electric-guitars and more particularly to an improved electric-guitar stand having a built-in, knee actuable volume control.

I am aware that in electric-guitars various arrangements have been used to vary the electrical amplification of the sound without materially interfering with the manipulation of the strings by the'player. A large number of these guitars use a built-in rheostat having a manipulable dial. In most of the instruments using the above control means it is necessary to manipulate the dial with the wrists or hands while at the same time continuing to play the instrument. The disadvantages of such an arrangement and the impositions on the skill of the player are obvious.

I am also aware that heretofore there have been provided electric-guitar stands utilizing foot-pedal controls to regulate the electrical amplification of the sound. However, these arrangements are unsatisfactory in positivevolume control and are generally unsteady and lacking in smoothness.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved electricguitar stand having a built-in, knee actuable volume control.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control for the electrical amplification of the instrument in which a hinged paddle mounted below the electric-guitar stand may be engaged by the knee and shifted to various positions while the players hands continue to pluck the strings.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a volume control device in which the knee actuated movable member is automatically returned to a neutral or starting position upon releasing pressure of the knee therefrom.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved electric-guitar stand having a built-in volume control which is sturdier in operation than conventional stands, thus providing greater freedom for the player, and in which the legs are hinged inwardly and may be conveniently folded together to provide an attractive, portable unit for comfortable carrying.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved electric-guitar stand having a built-in, knee actuable volume control which is much superior in positive volume control than the conventional foot-pedal volume control arrangements now on the market and which provides a smoother, steadier volume con- 2 trol than exists in the aforesaid foot-pedal arrangements.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of an improved electric-guitar stand having a built-in volume control actuable by the knee of the player that is strong, durable, highly eflicient in operation, simple in construction and design, capable of being readily and easily manufactured, and which is quite inexpensive.

These, together with the various ancillary objects of the inventor which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this improved electric-guitar stand, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the acompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to the figures, 4 collectively is an improved electric-guitar stand consisting of an inverted, rectangular box structure 5 adapted to support an electric-guitar across its upper surface and which is provided at each end with vertically extending upper leg portions 6 and 'l fixedly connected thereto. The upper edge of the upper leg portion 1 is provided with a groove 8 adapted to receive a guitar end.

The lower edges of the upper leg portions 6 and l are fixedly connected to the folding legs 9 and I0 respectively by means of hinges ll located on the inner surfaces thereof whereby to permit the inward movement of the folding legs 9 and lil and to provide a compact, portable unit when desired. The folding legs are supported in the open position by means of a conventional, releasable brace assembly, consisting of upper arms 12 pivotably connected to the longitudinal sides of the box structure 5 and to the upper portion of lower arms 14 by pins it. The upper leg portions 6 and l and the folding legs El and ii) are provided with vertically extending, complementary slots I5 and 16 adapted to receive the lower arms l4 when the folding legs are moved inwardly, the lower arms I4 being pivotably connected to the bottom of the slots Hi by pins It. The upper portions of the lower arms Hi are further provided with hooks ll integrally formed thereto and adapted to engage the upper arms l2 when in the locking position as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In place of the aforesaid brace El i- 3 sembly I may also use conventional Stanley drop-leaf table braces hinged at each end to fold with the le s 9 and i0 and to be placed on the inside of the stand so as to be substantially invisible.

Located below the box structure 5 at one underside thereof is a built-in, knee actuable unit collectively numbered I8, shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 the knee actuable unit l8 consists of a rectangular box it having a vertically extending paddle 2% located adjacent and external to its inner end and connected thereto by means of a hinge i3 in conventional manner.

Located within the box 19 and fixedly connected to a longitudinal side thereof is a standard volume control unit or rheostat 21 provided with the usual dial-shaft 22, angular displacement of the dial-shaft 22 occasioning a change in the internal resistance of the control unit H with a consequent change in the amplification of the sound in a well known manner. The volume control unit 21 is connected to the electric-guitar and amplifier by means of the leads 23 and 24, respectively, in the usual manner.

The dial-shaft 22 connects with the interior of the volume control unit 2! through the bearing 25, the other end of the dial-shaft 22 riding in the bearing 25 fixedly connected to the opposite side of the box l9 in conventional manner.

Fixedly secured to the dial-shaft 22 is a spool 21. A wire 28 passes around the spool 2'! in the manner shown and is connected at one end to the extended helical spring 29, with the other end of the wire 23 passing outwardly through the hole 3!! and connecting with the upper portion of the paddle 2% in conventional manner. The end of the helical spring 29 remote from the Wire 28 is fixedly connected to the far end of the box [9 in conventional manner, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In operation, the guitarist is seated at the stand i as shown in Fig. 1, with one knee adjacent to the lower portion of the paddle 20. Upon applying pressure to the lower portion of the paddle 29 with the knee in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the upper portion of the paddle rotates away from the box it, carrying with it the wire 28, which movement in turn imparts angular rotation to the spool 2'! and dial-shaft 22 thereby varying the resistance within the volume control unit 2! with a conse- 4, steadier variation in the sound amplification while at the same time permitting uninterrupted use of the players hands on the strings.

Since from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of this invention are readily apparent, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiment shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In an electric-guitar stand comprising a horizontal top and two substantially vertical legs connected to the ends thereof, that improvement which comprises the provision of a selfcontained volume control assembly located on the undersuri" ace of said top at one side thereof, said assembly comprising a substantially rectangular housing, a standard volume control unit located g, within said housing and fixedly secured to a longitudinal side of said housing, an elongated dialshaft communicating with the interior of said control unit by means of a first bearing and extending horizontally across said housing to rest in second bearing located in the opposite side of said housing, a spool fixedly secured to said dialshait, an extended helical spring located within housing and fixedly secured to said housing at one end thereof, a wire located within said housing and secured at one end to the other end of said spring, said wire being wound around said and extending outwardly of said housing by means of a hole located at the other end of said housing and a vertically extending paddle adapted to be engaged by the knee of a guitarist, and said paddle being located external to said housing adjacent to said hole and connected to said housing by a hinge, said wire being fixedly secured to the upper portion of said paddle whereby angular motion of the paddle due to knee pressure is transmitted to said diabshaft by means oi said wire and said spool, said spring returning said dial-shaft to its original position when the knee pressure is removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,3117% Osborne Aug. 4, 1931 1,399,88e Severy Feb. 28, 1933 2,193,060 Davis Mar. 12, 1940 1487, 220 Brown Nov. 8, 1949 2,530,252 Luberoff Nov, 14, 1950 2,578,541 Hammond Dec. 11, 1951 

